Pandora's Box
by CrazyTeddyBear
Summary: English class isn't a place Edward normally finds himself thinking about much,but when the class starts talking about mythology,he can't help but wonder what the world would be like if Pandora never opened the box and let the negative emotions out.PostNM


**A/N: Just the usual, I'm not Stephanie Meyer, review, blah, blah, blah... we all know you're more interested in reading the story than listening to what I have to say.**

**Pandora's Box**

_**Edward POV**_

We were sitting in the English classroom; the teacher was reading the story of Pandora's Box. Greek mythology is normally studied in grade nine, but our teacher enjoyed it enough to redo it in grade twelve as a 'refresher to what all you numbskulls have forgotten since then'- his words, not mine. Frankly, I welcome the change. I don't normally start in grade nine, so I rarely get to look at the topic. To add to that, mythology is one of those subjects that can never get boring- the stories themselves change as the viewpoints of society do.

"_Zeus then gave Pandora a box, knowing how curious she was he knew that one day she would open the box and let all the negative emotions man could experience out." _The teacher said; he was a good teacher, the class hung off of his every word.

I can't help but wonder what Pandora must have felt when she opened up that box. All those emotions she had never felt before, and then the guilt- another new emotion- of knowing what she had done to all those people. I'd bet that she would feel a great deal of other new emotions too, hating Zeus for the giving her the box into the first place, anger at what she would probably consider to be a great deal of unfair cruelty. It would drive any person insane. Or did the hope, the one good emotion in the box save her?

And what would happen to vampires if she never opened the box. Would we even exist? Surely vampires like James, Felix or Jane would be different, since those negative emotions that they enjoy creating so much would have never existed. And the world would have remained frozen in time, stuck in that eternally happy period- no one would have had the kind of miserable past necessary to create a person with the psychopathic natures of those vampires. In order to create a monster you need to have nothing but negative emotions, but if those emotions don't exist...

Well, let's just say the world would be a nicer place.

For once the thoughts of the children in the class were bearable, they were all focusing on the story instead of on petty gossip and sex. I looked over at Bella, her face was unreadable, I can't help but wish that I could read her thoughts. She never does what I expect her to. She never ceased to intrigue and amaze me.

I turned my attention back to the teacher.

"_And so that came to pass, Pandora opened the box and let out the emotions. Can anybody give me an example of some of the emotions that would have come out, and most likely reaped havoc on their world?" _The teacher finished. I could have listed them all- being the despicable creature that I am I feel them quite often- but the whole point of this is to blend in, and the more questions I get right the more I stand out.

Mike Newton put up his hand, casting a sideways glance at Bella as he did so, "_Jealousy?" _he said.

Ah, how fitting that he would say that one. I do feel a great deal of jealousy whenever he's flirting with Bella, particularly because he can take care of Bella in ways that I never could. He'd be able to grow old with her, have children. Things I would never be able to do since I'm no longer human. Jealousy is a nasty thing, it can turn anyone into a monster- not that it has to go that far for me, I believe I'm already there.

Not that Bella would agree with that. Once again I can't understand her way of thinking.

Angela put up her hand, "_guilt?"_

Guilt, there's an emotion that I have constantly, my guilt for making bad choices and leaving, dooming Bella to this life. If I had never contemplated running off to the Volturi then Alice would have never come here, and Bella would have lived happily ever after with Jacob Black. And going back farther than that, my guilt for leaving and upsetting Esme and Carlisle, my guilt for every life I've taken. The list could go on forever.

Eric Yorkie went next, "_hate?"_

Hate- the child of all other negative emotions. It wouldn't be there if not for things like jealousy or guilt; you need negative emotions in order to form hate- that emotion is just too powerful to form itself. I know that it's just my jealousy of Jacob Black that makes me want to kill him- for the most part anyway. And the fact that he took care of Bella when I left doesn't help lessen it either, it just makes me feel a little bit worse that I'm hurting Bella again, forcing her to choose. And because I'm the twisted creature I am I'm going to end up placing it all on Jacob Black's shoulder in a big helping of hate.

Then Bella put up her hand, a sweet smile crossing her lips. She was turning a delicate pink colour, and she had the undivided attention of all the boys in the class. It still amazes me how she can't see that, how a creature as divine as her can't realize her beauty. I'm happy the gods don't actually walk the earth- they're know for taking human females as partners if they're amazing enough, Bella is better than amazing, and I doubt that I'd be able to fight off a god. For Bella I'd try, but I doubt that I would succeed. Her hand wavered in the air, as if she was debating putting it down. The teacher turned to her, "Miss. Swan?" he prompted.

"_Hope."_

And I believe that that one is self explanatory.


End file.
